


five minutes (in heaven)

by kinpika



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angela is the best wingman, Bad Flirting, Canon Universe, M/M, McGenji Valentine Exchange 2017, Speed Dating, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-09-24 02:04:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9694967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinpika/pseuds/kinpika
Summary: McGenji Valentine Exchange 2017Gift for: prettyweedling“A rose?”“And it’s fake. It’ll last longer.”“A true romantic at heart, it seems.”





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [prettyweedling](https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettyweedling/gifts).



> Was given a prompt for 'speed dating' and I eyeballed that one so hard honestly. Kind of linked in the other two prompts but regardless, here it is.
> 
> Please enjoy!

For the record, it was wholly Angela’s idea. 

A combination of movies and ice cream, coupled with the reminder that capitalism was out to make him feel _completely_ alone on one particular day of the year. And despite what Angela _insisted_ on telling him — that he was being cynical again and that Santa was real — Jesse still had to smack a heart shaped balloon out the way as he entered the foyer. Angela returned his look with amusement, and slipped her arm through his.

“It’ll be worth it. After all, who else would make you do something like this?”

“No one, Angie, because no one’s dumb enough for this shit back at the base.” Jesse receives a slap to the arm for that, but that was about it. “‘sides, isn’t this a little _too_ much like home for this place?”

And Jesse wasn’t kidding. Whilst Valentine’s was pretty gimmicky, even back on the base, what Hanamura was pulling definitely reminded him of some of the bigger cities back in the States. Especially the ones who fed into the obsession with big pink hearts and stuffed bears in red jumpers (Jesse made a note to at least get Angela one, anyway. She loved that sort of crap). At least he could take a few photos of the displays, because Jesse knew the brat would get a kick out of it, even if she insisted that she was _so much more mature_ than the adults going speed dating. 

Whatever. Jesse wouldn’t pick a fight with Fareeha on the grounds that the kid could floor him in seconds. She ate into this kind of stuff too, maybe more than Angela — and Jesse _knew_ for a fact that the two of them had movie night on Thursdays for the sole reason that he wasn’t on base on Thursdays, and that they both watched really bad chick flicks from the turn of the century.

But that wasn’t the real big issue at that moment, as Jesse noticed there were just a few more women in the room than men. Not that he was being picky of course, ducking his head back out of the doorway as Angela finished texting someone (was she telling Reyes that they were on their best behaviour again?). But Angela wasn’t the kind of person to put him in awkward situations like this, and he nudges her with his shoulder.

“Is this actually a mixed one, or were you just pullin’ my leg back there?”

Angela actually has the audacity to bat her eyelashes at him. “I wouldn’t lie to you, would I?”

“You have. On multiple occasions.” Jesse could think of the lie from this morning alone, when she told him that it was Reyes who gave them permission to wander the town, when it was actually Morrison. And it was under the pretences of ‘surveillance’. Angela was definitely one to watch, that girl.

With a click of her tongue and a dangerous dip in the middle of her brows, Angela turns her nose up at him. “Just so you know, I’m going to circle ‘no’ on your paper.”

Clutching at his chest, Jesse staggers a little, but enough for Angela to roll her eyes. “That’s cold, Angie.”

Despite her laughing, she does finally tuck her phone away, leaning back against the wall. “It _is_ mixed, Jesse. I did double check before taking us here. Also,” conspiratorially, Angela looks around, before she leans in, “remember that guy you saw the other day with the green hair? Turns out he’s here!”

Jesse blinks slowly, until he realises what she was up to. A deep belly laugh leaves him, and Jesse wraps his arms around her, crushing her into his chest in a way he knew would irritate her to no end. “So you decided to set me up on a five minute date? Oh, Angela Ziegler, if the other recruits knew you spoiled me the way you do.”

“Will you shut up already?!”

Angela punches him, and he totally deserves it, but it doesn’t stop him from laughing. They almost miss someone coming close, bowing a little and trying to edge them into the room. Had it not been the shrill reminder in his ear that they were in _public_ and _supposed to be on their best behaviour_ , Jess might just have pressed his fingers into her sides and shown her what’s what. But Angela is on her feet in seconds, and they have to avoid looking at each other as they follow a staff member in. 

They receive their name badges, and had Angela not shoved an elbow into his side, Jesse was sure he would’ve gotten away with having his name changed to something other than ‘Joel’. Maybe he _was_ being a little cynical, being shown into a restaurant with a number of tables and chairs scattered around. But then he caught sight of the shocking amount of pink and red thrown over everything. It reminded him of Christmas a few years back, where the Amaris attempted to make a stacked cake — and he was sure Angela would like a reminder of that day.

Turning to say something to her, Jesse’s scopes the room quickly. Mostly, it was to make sure no one was in earshot (and to make sure someone was paying attention lest he die in an attempt to bring up the Great Red Fountain of ’59), but he hadn’t expected anything else. Sure, Angela _had said_ that the guy Jesse may — or may not! — have been eyeing off the other day was here, but there was no shock of green hair. Maybe he dyed it, Jesse reasons, sitting down at the first table. Perhaps he could take some comfort in not being the only foreigners in Hanamura at that time, and definitely not the only ‘lonely’ one.

Jesse makes a mental note to write in his report — that was no doubt going to be the first thing Reyes asked for next time they saw each other — that the dating pool in Hanamura sucked, and Angela lied to them all. And that yes, Reyes, he was interested in dating, despite being in _such a precarious_ _position_ , as Amari liked to remind him time to time. 

Introducing himself to his would-be partner for the next five minutes (“Joel, twenty-five, from the States,” with a smile), Jesse almost doesn’t keep looking around. Almost.

And then Jesse is pretty sure he’s been sucked into a movie, completely with the rose-haze and falling glitter hearts. Rushing in the door is the man of the hour, accompanied by another guy who Jesse didn’t recognise at all. Not that it made a difference, as he watched green-and-handsome push his hair off his forehead, laugh and bow and apologise for being late. Jesse was sure that if he burped then, butterflies would come out instead of air, and he stared very seriously at his hands on the table as they were shown to their tables.

Damn you, Angela, he thinks, closing his eyes until there’s a _ding_ , timer running! Sadly (or thankfully, Jesse still hadn’t made up his mind yet), the guy with the green hair was a few seats to his left. It would be just his luck they wouldn’t be rotated together. Meanwhile, eyes quickly find Angela to the far right, the damn woman had found herself chatting quite amicably with her fellow tablemate. Typical that she found herself doing so well in _these_ sort of situations. If only people knew she was quite scary any other time of day, and how little she actually socialised.

Looking back at the woman sitting across from him, who was still introducing herself, Jesse had to sigh. Well, he might as well make the most of it, smiling and nodding along to the talk about how she had travelled all the way out from deep in the wilds of France, determined to photograph Hanamura. Jesse had to admire her enthusiasm for the town, considering it was stuck between two eras. 

Thankfully, the bell goes off just as the woman starts talking about her brand of camera, and Jesse stands. He notes that the man doesn’t, and circles ‘no’ before moving on. Getting warmer, Jesse muses, greeting the man across from him with a firm handshake. Despite the insistence his current partner was not here for men, Jesse didn’t see why they couldn’t talk. And told the guy so. Watching him relax was amusing, and they talked about the weather. Sports. The States, and how the guy was going home soon. 

Jesse nods where it was appropriate, scans over Angela to make sure she was still okay, before his eyes cut left. 

Green notices him then, glass of water raised to his lips. Whoever he was partnered with didn’t seem to matter, as Green’s mouth curls into a smile, and he tips his glass in Jesse’s direction. Holy shit. Jesse can feel his cheeks colour probably more than was socially acceptable, and returns to talking about baseball like he knew what the sport actually involved and not that he was flirting across tables. Damn, this is where he could’ve used Angela being beside him, being his life coach in everything.

 _Ding!_ Saved by the bell, it seemed. Shaking hands once more, and wishing each other luck, with a laugh shared over circling ‘no’, Jesse moves on from Matt, or Mitch, or whatever his name was. One table away from Green now, another woman. Mildly uninterested, claimed she was only there for a friend. Jesse noted the way she stared down Angela despite her squawks, and had to laugh to himself a little. Whatever, he could use the silence — and he circled ‘no’ just as his butt met the chair, anyway.

Chin in hand, Jesse looks out the corner of his eye at Green again. A little more subtly this time. After all, he had to play up that he was interested, but not _too_ interested. What was it Angela’s movies harp on about? Hard to get? Chasing? Some animal comparison to gazelles or something wild like that. Jesse ends up staring at a balloon above Green’s head for the next four and a half minutes, a little too focused on figuring out what her stupid movies were on about.

Flying out of his chair just as the bell chimes, Jesse has to remind himself to cool his jets as he _finally_ sits with Green. Well, the man was a damn side more attractive up close, than simply from across the road, or in a bar. Jesse had to kick himself as to why he never approached the man sooner, especially to get so close and see such a nice pair of eyes.

Green smiles greatly, and Jesse knew it wasn’t dumb to think this smile was actually genuine. “Please forgive my English. I may be a little slower.”

“S’all good.” A comment like that does take him off guard, considering Michael (or was it Mick?) spoke with a thick accent that didn’t suggest he was born and raised in Japan, but was simply visiting family. Jesse can hear something that sounds vaguely like Angela in the back of his head, telling him that English was really hard to learn back when she was younger. Deciding to ignore that voice, because it only served to reprimand him, Jesse taps his fingers idly on the top of the table. Well, now that he was here, honestly, he had no idea what to do — and time was ticking away.

Gaze dropping to the centre of the table, a lightbulb lit up in his head. In one daring move, Jesse plucks the rose from the glass between them and offers it to Green. Brows furrow into a little ‘v’, and the effect is devastating. “A rose?”

“ _And_ it’s fake. It’ll last longer.”

“A true romantic at heart, it seems.” That was definitely a smile, and Jesse knew enough to know that the man was flirting back. Oh boy.

“Only for today.”

Jesse reads ‘Genji’ on the name badge. Cute, is all he really thinks, too lost in the man’s eyes ( _do you have a map, ‘cos I am completely and totally lost_ ). Maybe he could spend the rest of the time simply staring, because like hell he could actually think of something to talk about. Besides, the only thought running through his mind was something that started with ‘k’ and ended with lots of ‘g’s — if only because he didn’t want that to end anytime soon.

And then Genji clears his throat, quickly looking between the tables. “Should we talk about ourselves? Most people have, uh, how do you say, already gone past small talk?”

 _Nooo_ , Jesse falls to the floor. What did he even talk about? Catching a word from the table to their right, he simply repeats one word. “Family?” Ah, nice one there Jesse, that's like asking for someone's hand in marriage these days.

Genji blinks, smiles, and answers. “Brother and father. Yourself?” 

“Ma and an old man, two younger sisters. And an uncle who lives on the couch.” Jesse wasn’t lying when he meant Morrison slept on their couch. 

“How unfortunate.”

“Yeah, he doesn’t understand leaving.”

Genji laughs, and Jesse didn’t think that sentence was all that funny. But that didn’t stop him doing that schoolgirl sigh and smiling despite himself. Angela was totally right to think he was so far gone. And to think, he had totally forgiven the green hair by now.

But apparently Genji didn't enjoy simply eyeballing each other over the table, and isn't quite looking at Jesse when he continues the conversation. “What brings you to Hanamura?”

“Passing through. Friend,” Jesse hitches a thumb over in Angela’s direction, “thought this would be funny and dragged me here.” Reyes had to be impressed that Jesse didn't compromise their cover in any way, shape or form, surely. Even though he still thought their civilian identities for the moment were ridiculous, at least they allowed for Angela to be in the field with him. 

There has to be something said about how the smile doesn’t disappear, and how Genji hums a little in understanding. “They only started doing this sort of thing a few years ago. It’s very popular in the cities.”

Jesse had to shrug. “I wouldn’t know. I don’t think of this as a holiday.”

“You don’t enjoy Valentine’s?” A certain amount of shock is in Genji's voice, which got a raised brow from Jesse. 

“Not exactly. A little too much… glitter and pink for me.” For emphasis, Jesse brushes the growing amount of glitter out of his hair, staring at his hands in dismay. He was sure glitter machines were a safety hazard, and perhaps a confidence hazard. There was no way he was going back to base without having a shower somewhere now.

Twirling the rose between his fingers, Genji just stares at it for at least a whole minute of their time. Jesse doesn't mine in the slightest, as it gives him time to look over Genji from hairline to the tip of his chin. Definitely better seeing this guy in the light and up close, but at the same time Jesse just wants to sink down into his chair and cover his face, on the grounds he can't decide what he likes best. Never mind the fact that Jesse had the privilege of seeing Genji out amongst other people after dark, and the guy sitting before him was almost  _too_ different. Except for those eyes, and the way they hovered, far too cheerful, like he was planning some great trick.

“I think it’s romantic," Genji finally says after a moment. He had taken to rubbing the petals of the rose between thumb and forefinger, and Jesse doesn't think that look wasn't deliberate. 

Seriously though, he couldn’t help himself. “Shouldn’t you show your partner you love them everyday, not just on _one_ day?” 

“True. Are you the type of man to shower your partner in gifts?”

With a little laugh, Jesse has to shake his head. “I don’t think my pay check would allow for it, but I’d try at least. Every day, if that’s what they wanted.”

“How honest.” Genji’s fingers tighten around the rose, completely focused on it over Jesse. He must’ve blown it. There he went, running his mouth. Everyone loved Valentine’s Day, or else they wouldn’t be doing dumb shit like this, right? (I'm doing dumb shit like this, he reminds himself, and feels an irresistible urge to smother Angela when they went home).

Jesse told himself not to sulk, but he was sulking. Hands planted on the table, he tips back on his chair just enough to rock back and forth. Well, at least he could tell Angela he tried. She knew he was a horrible flirt — and only giving him _five minutes_ was just downright cruel. It took him at least a year of warming up, surely she knew that by now.

Genji opens his mouth, suddenly, looking up at Jesse so seriously that he nearly loses his grip. Watching his mouth snap closed, only to open once more, Jesse didn’t know what to expect. Definitely not the ringing of the bell, ending their five minutes in heaven together. Landing on all fours, Jesse pushes away from the table, going to stand. 

“Thank you for the flower.”

“My pleasure.”

They shake hands, because Jesse was sure it was a little inappropriate to kiss right now, and moves on. The rest of the matches go relatively smoothly, if he does say so himself. Jesse answers ‘no’ to all, if only because one of his matches smacked their nose on the edge of the table just as they went to sat down, and his second to last match had their partner rush into the room and threaten to beat him up. A little too much action for his tastes, and Jesse helps himself to the free lunch. 

It takes every ounce of willpower in him not to go right up to Genji after thanks are given and information regarding matches is passed around. Jesse just eats the sandwiches and rice things and maybe at least half a kilogram of fish to himself, and has to pat himself on the back for lasting as long as he did. Only then does Angela decide to make herself apparent, grinning from ear to ear, taking one of Jesse’s plates with her as she went.

“So, how did it go?” Angela was never good at reading the mood.

And no, his lower lip did not jut out any further than it already had. “Good, I guess. I think he was flirting? I’m assuming he was flirting.”

“From what I saw, that was definitely what you would call ‘flirting’.”

Giving Angela a very hard side eye, Jesse dumbs the rest of the food on her plate, before collapsing over her. They stumble a little, as Angela struggles to take his full weight, and he pretends to sob into her shoulder. “It was so _bad_. I didn’t know what to say! I said Valentine’s was dumb,” pausing, only to heave another sob, Jesse focused on raising his voice to something extra nasally, “I wanna go home!”

“Get off me, you _ass_.”

“Angie, comfort me. I think I’m gonna die.”

“Oh my god!”

She drops him, but he manages to catch himself on the table. Standing upright, Jesse figures he should’ve let himself fall, if only because he would feel a little better for it later. Especially when he sees Genji getting ready to leave, thanking the staff members as he went. Gone again, Jesse muses, watching green hair disappear through a doorway, just like every other time he had seen that man go. 

It was fine. Jesse just had to keep telling himself that. Eventually, they escape the restaurant with the rest of the crowd. Those who didn’t need a matchmaker in the next twenty-four hours made their way off, and Jesse watched as Angela politely turned down at least half a dozen dates for that night. He doesn’t say anything, of course, not when Angela turns to him, a nice rosy red. “Let’s go home.”

Outside and on the street, Jesse is lighting a smoke as Angela opens her phone once more. Something is said about how they were ‘totally grounded’ when they were to return to base, and Jesse snorts. Not like Reyes had ever enforced that rule before. With some begging, and a promise to do chores for long enough, Jesse was sure they could get the grounding lifted. And if _that_ failed, well, they could always send Fareeha in to beg that she really, _really_ wanted to go out with her _two_ best friends (pretty please, Gabe!). Such a tactic hadn’t failed them yet.

Even though he knew she would slap his hand away, Jesse offered the smoke regardless. Sometimes Angela had a quick drag, only to cough and splutter and go on about health consequences. But it was getting to be a rarer sight these days, which said a lot about how comfortable she was in her current position. Catching an elbow in his ribs, Jesse damn near inhales the cigarette, and Angela squeaks when he gets her in a headlock for it.

“Say it!”

“ _Never!_ ”

Angela has to tap his arm three times before he lets her go, and he’s laughing as she’s gasping for air, trying and failing to punch him. Holding his cigarette out of harm’s way, Jesse steps far enough until he’s at the edge of another building, leaning against the brick comfortably. Despite the way Angela stalks towards him, the high pitched shrill of her phone takes her attention. “I’m going to kill you after this,” she promises, and turns around, yapping away.

Jesse has to laugh to himself, as he sticks his cigarette back in his mouth. He was so done for once they saw Fareeha again. No doubt that girl would take Angela’s side, and then he’d be begging ‘mercy’ when he was stuck in that fancy hold Fareeha had only just managed to get a hold on a week before they left. Puffing out a cloud of smoke, his grin quietened to a smile, and he told himself that making a fool out here wouldn’t matter back there.

Until he notices the shadow coming up to his left. Having to remind himself he’s a civilian at that moment, no fast movements, he turns towards the figure accompanying the shadow, lips just barely parting around his smoke to shout out. And then, he recognises the shock of green hair, and Jesse is just plainly dumbfounded, standing in the one spot, hand raised. 

Despite his brain not working, Genji doesn’t mind, instead plucking the cigarette from between Jesse’s lips, and leans in. Firmly having their lips sealed together, Jesse goes a little too blank to offer anything back, forgetting to even close his eyes. Not meaning to stare, Jesse notes how Genji looked so damned amused as he kissed him, that when he pulls away, he laughs and takes the cigarette with him. 

“Thank you again for the flower.”

Jesse watches Genji practically saunter away, before he realises that his jacket was just a little lighter than before. Patting his pockets, Jesse realised his entire packet had been taken from him. Fingers wrap around what sat in the place of his shitty smokes — a slip of paper. Well, if he wasn’t quite living the fancier movie life now, when Jesse pulled the paper from his jacket, he honestly wasn’t expecting the day to go quite like this.

Under the name ‘Joel’ was scratched out, replaced with ‘JESSE’ in big bold letters, there was a circled ‘yes’. Accompanied by a number written in very neat writing, oddly surprising of what Jesse thought Genji to be like. Angela slaps him on the back enough times to have him cough, only being stopped when he downright tackles her for shouting “I told you so!” at the top of her lungs.

Well, Jesse thought, I’ll be damned. Valentine's isn't so bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> For reference, Angela and Jesse would be about 25 in this (in theory, this happens in 2064). I did picture this happening in the canon universe, in some kind of lull (say they're sussing out Hanamura for the Shimada bust). Also, I'm pretty sure Angela and Jesse are best friends, and Genji is also their best friend, and Angela is the best wingman and Fareeha can floor all their asses if she tried hard enough. 
> 
> Happy Valentine's Day!


End file.
